Drafting or sigining LT's Replacement :(

An good, quality RB can be found in the 2nd or 3rd round of the draft, and with our focus being on an offense through the air, we do not need another LT to improve this team.

That said, if Gerhart falls to the 2nd round, I would be all for taking him, and Ingram is also the style of back that we could use. We have a back capable of the huge play (Sproles) and Rivers excels at picking up huge chunks of yardage, but a short-yardage back is essential to completing this offense, someone with power who can keep going after contact. :yes:

It is why LT works well in this offense right now--his ability to break open the big play has all but diminished, but he always finds the goal line and has a strong initial burst.

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Norv is committed to keeping this a balanced offense. We could be SCARY GOOD if we had a RB that could average 4.5+ ypc, and fall forward after the hit.....those guys typically go higher, waiting for guys is always hit and miss with a much higher rate of misses.

And since we're in a position to win right now, I'd like to see us draft the most "game ready" RB we can in this draft.

There's a few good RB's in this year's draft, but I don't think the Chargers will use one of their first three picks on one. We should be able to re-sign Merriman and the big WRs but if not, we could be drafting replacements for them.

There's a few good RB's in this year's draft, but I don't think the Chargers will use one of their first three picks on one. We should be able to re-sign Merriman and the big WRs but if not, we could be drafting replacements for them.

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And who will play RB for us next year? Sproles isn't locked up, and we know he's not big enough to carry the load. And LT has declined to the point where he can hardly justify a starting position in the NFL. Otherwise its just 33yr old Michael Bennett.

RB is a must in this next draft for reasons that I've already mentioned many times, preferably a guy that can step in right away and take 20 carries.

Mark my words, we will likely draft a guy in the later rounds and sign someone to a one-year deal with the belief that at least one of them will "pan out" to be a servicable power back on short-yardage situations.

But I agree, and I am sure AJ and Dean agree, that RB is a concern that needs to be addressed in the near future.

Mark my words, we will likely draft a guy in the later rounds and sign someone to a one-year deal with the belief that at least one of them will "pan out" to be a servicable power back on short-yardage situations.

But I agree, and I am sure AJ and Dean agree, that RB is a concern that needs to be addressed in the near future.

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I agree with that 100%, but I wouldn't be surprised one bit if we drafted TWO runningbacks in this draft. Maybe a Ryan Mathews in the 2nd round, and LeGarrett Blount in the 5th or 6th.

My new mock....(which admittedly changes dramatically week by week)

1st- Dan Williams NT. Saw him play last night, the man is a BEAST, looks exactly like Jamal.

2nd- Ryan Mathews RB. This would require a trade up to the early-mid 2nd round. But he's reminds me of a faster Rashard Mendenhall.

3rd- Kyle Calloway RT. Solid all around blocker, not great at either, but could easily start for us.

At this point, I am not sure if NT is our top priority...and my tune regarding this has changed a LOT in the past few months.

I figure Jamal to be productive for at least 1 more year, hopefully 2, and in that span, one of Bingham, Nwagbuo, or Martin should emerge as an NT of the future. However, if we are drafting for value and not position, I STILL agree with Dan Williams. In a 3-4, you can never have too many run-stuffers as a part of the 3 side of the equation that cause penetration.

Nwagbuo is too small to be a NT in my opinion, but he is the perfect size for a 3-4 DE and I really liked what he has shown us this year.

Jahvid Best declared for the draft yesterday, but his style is not the style I like in a R1 RB prospect.

Jahvid Best declared for the draft yesterday, but his style is not the style I like in a R1 RB prospect.

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I'd like to see the Chargers pick him up with the first round pick. Why? Because Jahvid Best can catch the ball. He'll be another target for Rivers. I'd also like to see LeGarrette Blount picked up in later rounds. He'll be pounding the ball into the end zone on the regular. A Best/Blount combo is what I prescribe for the Charger's ailing running attack.

I'd like to see the Chargers pick him up with the first round pick. Why? Because Jahvid Best can catch the ball. He'll be another target for Rivers. I'd also like to see LeGarrette Blount picked up in later rounds. He'll be pounding the ball into the end zone on the regular. A Best/Blount combo is what I prescribe for the Charger's ailing running attack.

I have two concerns....
1) He's had 2 surgeries (hand and foot) and a serious concusion in the last year. Durability is a MAJOR concern according to draft experts, and after Buster Davis...:icon_eek:
2) He's a little bit too much like Sproles. I'd be down with drafting him if we can't keep the lightning bug.

But I'm 100% on board with Blount. Guys like Best run around people and guys like Dwyer run over people. Guys like Blount...DO BOTH.

Without Sproles, I am all for drafting Best, but I am sure Sproles realizes that his market value is limited based upon his performance this year and I am confident that he will be locked up.

Having 2 speed guys in the backfield is counter-productive and leaves us very thin at goal-to-go situations unless Tolbert becomes the next Mike Alstott. I would personally prefer that we take a power back before Best, but not one like AP whose style will cause his production to rapidly decline.

Without Sproles, I am all for drafting Best, but I am sure Sproles realizes that his market value is limited based upon his performance this year and I am confident that he will be locked up.

Having 2 speed guys in the backfield is counter-productive and leaves us very thin at goal-to-go situations unless Tolbert becomes the next Mike Alstott. I would personally prefer that we take a power back before Best, but not one like AP whose style will cause his production to rapidly decline.

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I've watched all the highlight videos that I can find on all the RB's in this draft, and my top 10 go like this.....

10. Anthony Dixon- Some people are high on this guy, I see a glorified Kevan Barlow.
9. Joe McKnight- Slower Reggie Bush. A guy who will be a solid 2 or 3.
8. Hardesty- Doesn't break many tackles, not very fast, one cut and go type runner.
7. Gerhart- Mike Alstott.....solid 3rd round value but nothing higher. Defense knows where the ball is going when he's in the game.
6. Tate- One cut guy who's faster than Gerhart and Hardesty, solid 3rd round guy.
5. Dwyer- Battering ram with surprising speed, but very very limited lateral quickness and almost no help in the passing game.
4. Mathews- SUPERB inside runner, horrid pass catcher. Reminds me of a Jonathan Stewart or Mendenhall.
3. Best- Maybe a 1/4 step slower than Spiller, but just as versatile and with a surprising ability to break arm tackles.
2. CJ Spiller - Explosive speed, versatile, but doesn't run well between the tackles.
1. LeGarrette Blount - Say what you want, this guy looks like he's playing a different game. He's going on the 2nd day because of what happened in September. But he is clearly (on film) the best pure RB in this draft, and not bad in the passing game as Oregon likes to split out their RB's.

whY? Is it bc of CJ's success? CJ can run in the tackles though. Spiller....? He could be another reggie bush and Bush is good but an overpriced mistake if u ask me...

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Absolutely I think its because of CJ. He's built exactly the same, and has the same explosive speed both out of the backfield and spilt out wide. On the other hand Spiller definatly has the Reggie Bush factor working against him too. He's had turf toe this year, and its those nagging injuries that steer teams away from smaller backs in the 1st round.

So he won't go as high as Bush or as low as Johnson, I think he's goes somewhere in between in the top 20 for sure.

Spiller vs. Best? All we need is one of them to fall to 32. It would be great if we could get this guy too: :yes:

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If he'd lose 20-30lbs of fat (putting him in Jamal Williams territory) I'd be down with drafting this guy. Right now he's a 2 down guy at best, and a guy who often looks completely fatigued by the 4th quarter and starts standing up off the snap. He could be a serious liability if we're counting on him late in games, we'd have to scheme around his lack of conditioning.

If I'm AJ I absolutely would not take him in the 1st round, 2nd round ok.

If he'd lose 20-30lbs of fat (putting him in Jamal Williams territory) I'd be down with drafting this guy. Right now he's a 2 down guy at best, and a guy who often looks completely fatigued by the 4th quarter and starts standing up off the snap. He could be a serious liability if we're counting on him late in games, we'd have to scheme around his lack of conditioning.

If I'm AJ I absolutely would not take him in the 1st round, 2nd round ok.

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I think we could condition him well, we've had good success with conditioning this team in the past, not to mention he'd have a great mentor to work on those things with in Jamal Williams. I think he's going to be a first rounder and I think he's more consistent then Dan Williams who is apparently trying to be the first nose tackle to get drafted.

I'm still thinking you could get him/Williams in the first, turn around and grab Williams (RB Fresno St) in the second and maybe grab a DE in the third

How much you guys think Jamal has left in the tank? I think OG and Vaughn have both been impressive enough to warrant serious consideration as a future NT (especially Vaughn, although he is likely 2 years away). OG is a good size for a 3-4 DE, as well.

I think a DE alongside Jamal/Vaughn is an ideal #1 pick, and although it is a major pipe dream, I want Brian Price.

I think we could condition him well, we've had good success with conditioning this team in the past, not to mention he'd have a great mentor to work on those things with in Jamal Williams. I think he's going to be a first rounder and I think he's more consistent then Dan Williams who is apparently trying to be the first nose tackle to get drafted.

I'm still thinking you could get him/Williams in the first, turn around and grab Williams (RB Fresno St) in the second and maybe grab a DE in the third

How much you guys think Jamal has left in the tank? I think OG and Vaughn have both been impressive enough to warrant serious consideration as a future NT (especially Vaughn, although he is likely 2 years away). OG is a good size for a 3-4 DE, as well.

I think a DE alongside Jamal/Vaughn is an ideal #1 pick, and although it is a major pipe dream, I want Brian Price.

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I think everyone is up in arms about how much we need a NT, but if Jamal Williams and Ryon Bingham come back next year we'll be 2 or 3 deep at that position with Vaughn Martin supposedly being the future.

If thats the case I think our needs go like this...
1. RB...and its not even close. There is big distance between 1 and 2.

2. OT...'browski and Clary will battle for starting RT, but neither seems to me like a long term fix.
3. OLB....we don't get enough pressure, and its not going to get better when Merriman leaves.
4. WR.....Vjack and M80 are on 1yr deals right now, I'd be surprised if someone like Denver doesn't snatch one away from us.
5. DT.....meaning 3-4 DE depth.
6. CB......Jammer is not young anymore, Cromartie's contract is up after 2010, and Cason has been shown up by Gregory.

Something tells me that Merriman leaving is not a done deal, and I still want to give English and Tucker additional time to prove themselves before committing a R3 pick to OLB. Personally, I would rather have another MLB.

And Cason has looked good in his limited role as a traditional corner, so I am not too concerned there...and Brandon Hughes looked good in pre-season, too. CB is typically a position it is best to draft in the top 2 rounds, anyway.

And Vaughn...something tells me he is the next Jamal, just by the way the shows flashes.

My list of priorities:

1. RB, and I will echo you that it is not close. I would prefer a strong, short-yardage guarantee back to the explosive threat, someone to complement the passing game and/or Sproles.

2. Defensive tackle who can stop the run and penetrate as a DE--another Castillo-type whose first responsibility is to stop the run but will get some "oops, I overpowered the O-line" pressure, too. I think OG could do this for us, but I would rather have someone more specialized.

3. Middle LB, as I really only see us as 3-deep (Cooper, Siler, Dobbins) with Burnett being a little bit too soft for my liking.

4. Outside LB, but I think the pressure will fix itself once the middle of the defense re-solidifies itself and forces double-blocks. If our 3 down linemen only require 3 O-liners to contain, it leaves a TE and an RB to help tackles to pick up our OLBs every single time.

5. RB, I will reiterate because this is THE year to burn 2 picks here.

I am not concerned with WR, as we have 4 competent starters there and I do not see V-Jack wanting to go anywhere else or M80 commanding much of a salary.

CB, we have Cason to spell Jammer, and I see Cason developing into a corner in Jammer's mold as a strong tackler and good cover guy who can stop screens.

I am not concerned with WR, as we have 4 competent starters there and I do not see V-Jack wanting to go anywhere else or M80 commanding much of a salary.

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I am concerned that VJack was born and raised in Colorado Springs, and I believe he was raised a Bronco fan. And the Broncos are going to need a #1 WR after they trade Marshall? I know if I were in his situation I'd leave in a heartbeat if my favorite team offered me a contract.

By the way on the RB draft situation, I've come full circle on the prospects. I am completely unimpressed by Jonathan Dwyer, and Jahvid Best is quickly becoming one of my favorites. He fits our scheme perfectly, he's explosive from anywhere on the field and actually has the determination of a Chris Johnson breaking armtackles.
Watch the play at 4:57

I'm in love with Best for his versitility, and I like him more than Spiller, but I have concerns that neither one will drop to the Chargers in the first round. If one of them does, I'll be PISSED if we don't draft him!

Since there's highlights of Best on this thread already, here's highlights of Spiller too, notice the seperation between Spiller and the defenders every single time he breaks one:

Didn't I tell you guys that Dwyer isn't all that? Sheesh - I live in ACC land & watch a lot of ACC ball. But please - don't let that get in the way of your BS knob-slobbering. :lol:

Positional value for a RB in today's NFL isn't that great unless you feel that you have a sure-fire home run hitter. Spiller is likely the only one of those in this draft & he isn't going to fall to us.

Better to concentrate on the defensive front 7 & find a RB in later rounds or FA until the RB draft class is deeper. 2010 is the year of the DT.

But again, please - you draft geniuses continue on with your solutions for the future. opcorn:

I would bet my bolt cash that VJack signs a long-term deal to stay with us, for his knows what he has right here in San Diego. I rarely see him totally escape coverage like, oh, let's say, a Brandon Marshall, and a WR like him needs an accurate QB to place the ball in the right place where he can make the play needed to catch the ball and not throw a pick or allow the corner a play on the ball.

I predict that VJack accepts a very good contract to remain in San Diego, he and Rivers grow old together, and we he becomes a WR in the mold of Wines Hard, but with more class and skill.

Didn't I tell you guys that Dwyer isn't all that? Sheesh - I live in ACC land & watch a lot of ACC ball. But please - don't let that get in the way of your BS knob-slobbering. :lol:

Positional value for a RB in today's NFL isn't that great unless you feel that you have a sure-fire home run hitter. Spiller is likely the only one of those in this draft & he isn't going to fall to us.

Better to concentrate on the defensive front 7 & find a RB in later rounds or FA until the RB draft class is deeper. 2010 is the year of the DT.

But again, please - you draft geniuses continue on with your solutions for the future. opcorn:

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I think we're just speculating on who could make the Chargers better more immediately, rather than waiting and hoping for a later round pick to develop. What explosive guys like Spiller and Best do is they give us a kind of instant credibility in the run game and add another dimention to our offense. It keeps teams from being able to pin their ears back and gun for Rivers all the time because they know they have to respect counters, draws, screens and RB's splitting out wide because these guys can turn any 3yd play into a 30yd play with a single crease.

I think what your risking by diliberately waiting till later is that you may not get the guy you want, and you end up hoping rather than knowing that the guy you get is going to be every bit as good as the guys you passed on. And wether you like it or not, the success rate is higher with the higher picks in the draft.

I think we're just speculating on who could make the Chargers better more immediately, rather than waiting and hoping for a later round pick to develop. What explosive guys like Spiller and Best do is they give us a kind of instant credibility in the run game and add another dimention to our offense. It keeps teams from being able to pin their ears back and gun for Rivers all the time because they know they have to respect counters, draws, screens and RB's splitting out wide because these guys can turn any 3yd play into a 30yd play with a single crease.

I think what your risking by diliberately waiting till later is that you may not get the guy you want, and you end up hoping rather than knowing that the guy you get is going to be every bit as good as the guys you passed on. And wether you like it or not, the success rate is higher with the higher picks in the draft.

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With RB's? That's a big statement to make - prove it.

Edit: Go here & look back for the last 15-20 yrs. With the exception of a few generational RBs, like Emmitt, LT, AP, & now Chris Johnson, you'll find at least as many Day One picks that fizzled as you will Day Two picks that produced.